DVD Review: Piranha 3D, The Descent, R.E.D.

Dante

Graphic illustrator/filmmaker,

theamericandreammovie.com

Piranha 3D: A nice throwback to the ’80s, when directors weren’t shy about showing the essentials to a goodtime horror flick: beer, babes, and lots of blood. Alexandre Aja and company come up with the right mix of cheese and gory horror.

Saat Po Long/Killzone: Intense gritty action/drama starring top-tier talent Simon Yam, Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, and Wu Jing, and directed by Wilson Yip. Wonderfully photographed with amazing action scenes.

Piranha 3D (USA) 2010, Weinstein Company
List price: $28.96

Saat Po Long/Killzone (Hong Kong) 2005,
Dragon Dynasty
List price: $19.93

Pia Thrasher
Local actress, piathrasher.com

The Descent is a tense, claustrophobic, and gory film about six women who go spelunking in a cave in the Appalachians. Things go very wrong. I like how director Neil Marshall portrays the women as smart, intelligent, and experienced at their hobby. He never uses sex or nudity to sell the film.

The Princess and the Warrior is a lesser-known film by Tom Tykwer, the director who made Run Lola Run. It has the opposite pace — slow and meandering — but in a good way and without getting boring. Unexpected turns keep you guessing about what’s next. It’s about a nurse looking for the man who saved her life after a horrible car accident. That’s it a very tiny nutshell.

The Descent (England) 2005, Lionsgate
List price: $14.98

The Princess and the Warrior (Germany) 2001, Sony Pictures
List price: $24.96

Rena Rowe
Movie lover

Movies are my first love, especially those with action and martial arts. Ever the daddy’s girl, movies hold a special place in my heart as I cherish the childhood memories of watching kung fu flicks with my father every Saturday afternoon. Flash Point satisfies the action lover in me, and I swooned over the fight scenes choreographed by Donnie Yen.

R.E.D. is a movie that should’ve been a summer blockbuster but it was fun just the same. The action is a throwback to the days of old, and Bruce Willis confirms he’s the real last action hero. The witty banter and humor prove that if you feel the need to add comic relief to an action film, it doesn’t have to be slapstick to be funny.

Flash Point (Hong Kong) 2007, Dragon Dynasty
List price: $9.95

R.E.D. (USA) 2010,
Summit Entertainment
List price: $28.99